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Shazam
Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel) is a superhero in the DC Comics Universe and the protector of Fawcett City. In his secret identity, he is William Joseph "Billy" Batson, a young boy who was chosen to be a champion of good by the wizard Shazam. Whenever Billy speaks the wizard's name, he is struck by a magic thunderbolt that transforms him into an adult superhero empowered with the abilities of six legendary figures. Throughout his many adventures, Captain Marvel has fought countless enemies, the most famous being Doctor Sivana, Black Adam and Mister Mind. However, he has also earned many allies, such as Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr, forming theMarvel Family . Historically, Captain Marvel first appeared in Whiz Comics #2.''However, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths significantly altered the character's history, Captain Marvel's first appearance in theModern Age of Comic Books was in ''History of the DC Universe #2. After the reboot of the DC Universe (Post-''Flashpoint''), the character was renamed Shazam and was re-introduced in''Justice League'' (Volume 2) #7. Before DC Comics gained ownership of the character, Captain Marvel was originally a property of Fawcett Comcs. However, a copyright infringement lawsuit from DC Comics stated that Captain Marvel was an illegal infringement of Superman. This caused Fawcett to cease publishing Captain Marvel-comics, but DC Comics gained ownership of the Marvel Family characters and returned them to publication. History Origins Billy Batson and his sister Mary were born to archaeologists C. C. and Marylin Batson. Billy's parents were killed by their treacherous assistant, Theo Adam, while on a dig at the tomb of Rameses II at Abu Simbel, Egypt. He also kidnaps Billy's sister Mary, who ends up missing. Billy was separated from his sister Mary following the death of their parents and left in the care of their uncle Ebenezer, his father's half-brother. Unfortunately, Ebenezer threw Billy out and stole the youth's trust fund money which had been set aside for Billy's care and welfare. Left penniless and homeless, Billy eked out a sorrowful existence in Fawcett City as a newsboy. For shelter, he often slept in the subway terminals. One night, a mysterious stranger - later revealed to be the spirit of Billy's father - convinced Billy to follow him deep into the subway tunnels. There, Billy found a marvelous train decorated in hieroglyphics and mystic runes. Billy and the stranger rode the train deep into the bowles of the earth and arrived in a cavern that held statues epitomizing the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, including Envy, Lust, Greed, Pride, Wrath, Sloth, and Gluttony. Within the cavern, Billy met the ancient wizard Shazam, a champion of mankind for thousands of years. Withered with age, Shazam sat on a throne poised benaeth a giant stone block suspended above him as if by magic. There, the ancient wizard revealed that he had selected Billy to be his champion to fight for good as the "strongest and mightiest man in the world--Captain Marvel!" To that end, Shazam ordered Billy to speak his name, which was actually an acronym for various legendary figures who had agreed to grant aspects of themselves to a willing subject: S - for the wisdom of Solomon H - for the strength of Hercules A - for the stamina of Atlas Z - for the power of Zeus (which enhances all Marvel's other physical abilities and allows for interdimensional travel) A - for the courage of Achilles (which would include invulnerability from ancient mythology) M - for the speed of Mercury (and, by extension, the power to fly) Billy then said the wizard's name, and was immediately struck by a magic lightning bolt, turning him into Captain Marvel, an adult superhero. He then learned that he has only to speak the word again to be instantly changed back into Billy. With that, Shazam was immediately killed by the large granite block that fell from above his throne. Billy vowed to fulfill his bestowed role. Early Adventures Captain Marvel became a member of the revived Justice Society of America and was featured prominently in that group alongside his nemesis Black Adam. Captain Marvel had originally joined the team to keep an eye on Adam, who had joined the JSA claiming to have reformed. Black Adam eventually left the JSA to instigate a takeover of his home country of Kahndaq; he had a fondess for the country, and wished to see the totalitarian regime done away in what he saw as justice. Captain Marvel remained with the team. During his tenure in the JSA, Marvel dated Courtney Whitmore, also known as Stargirl, which put him in an unusual position; while he could legally date Courtney as Billy Batson, it looked very strange for the grown-up Captain Marvel to be with the teenaged Stargirl. The Golden Age The Flash (Jay Garrick)|The Flash, Jay Garrick, another JSA member, confronted Marvel about the issue. Rather than telling Garrick and the team the truth about his age, Marvel chose to follow the Wisdom of Solomon and leave the team and Courtney. The Marvel Family played an integral part the Infinite Crisis. The climax of the Day of Vengeance saw theSpectre engaged in a cosmic-level battle with the wizard Shazam. At the conclusion of this battle, Shazam was obliterated, and the Rock of Eternity burst apart into Earth's dimension, freeing scores of ancient magicks and evils that had been captured eons ago back into the Universe. In a later Day of Vengeance one-shot special, Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family then helped Zatanna and several other beings to capture the Seven Deadly Sins and rebuild the Rock of Eternity. Captain Marvel was then required to take over Shazam's role as caretaker of the Rock. Marvel was later shown fulfilling this role, although teetering on the brink of sanity, constantly talking back to the Seven Sins around him. During this time, Marvel was shown helping Black Adam grant Adrianna Tomaz the powers of the goddess Isis. Later that year, Captain Marvel presided at the marriage ceremony of Adam and Isis in Kahndaq. Black Adam's continued attempts to reform, and depicted Adam's formation of, with Captain Marvel's blessing, a "Black Marvel Family". Joining Black Adam in the Black Marvel Family were his wife Isis and her brotherOsiris. Isis and Osiris are murdered by the "Four Horsemen", creatures engineered by a team of DC's mad scientist characters (Dr. Sivana among them). As a result, Black Adam takes his revenge out on the entire world, killing millions. Black Adam is halted for a few minutes, just the time needed for Captain Marvel to force a magic lightning bolt on him, turning Black Adam back to Teth-Adam and changing his magic word into an unknown one. Trials of Shazam! and Final Crisis The Trials of Shazam!, a 12-issue maxi-series written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Howard Porter for the first eight issues and by Mauro Cascioli for the remaining four, began publication in August 2006. The series redefined the Shazam! mythos, the characters, and their place in the DC Universe. Trials of Shazam! featured Captain Marvel, now with a white costume and long white hair, taking over the role of the wizard Shazam under the name Marvel, while Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel lose their powers. A powerless Freddy Freeman is then drafted to prove himself worthy to the individual six gods evident in the "Shazam" acronym so that he can become their new champion and herald under the name Shazam, although a witch Sabina from the Council of Merlin attempts to take the power herself, as ordered by her father Merlin. Atlas is killed during the series by Sabina, but Apollo's healing replaces him. Marvel helps Freddy when he is trapped by the weight that Atlas bore. In the pages of the 2007-2008 Countdown to Final Crisis limited series, Black Adam gives the powerless Mary Batson his powers, turning her into a more villainous character. She eventually relinquishes the power and gets powers from the Olympians, but she is tempted by her old power. By the end of the series, as well as in DC's 2008-2009 Final Crisis limited series, the now black-costumed Mary Marvel, possessed by the evil New God DeSaad, becomes a villain, joining forces with Superman villain Darkseid and fighting both Supergirl and Freddy Freeman/Shazam, who turns her back using his lightning. Justice Society of America The redesigned Marvel made a few appearances in various DC comics outside of The Trials of Shazam! maxi-series for two years before returning in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #23 in January 2009. Justice Society writer Geoff Johns collaborated with writer/artist Jerry Ordway to write a storyline that would again retool the Shazam! franchise. In the story, Marvel is ambushed by Black Adam and Isis, who are intent on taking over the Rock of Eternity. Isis robs Marvel of his powers by saying Shazam from a spell book to send lightning at him, and banishes a powerless Billy Batson back to Fawcett City, where he contacts the Justice Society for help. Upon arriving at the Rock of Eternity with Billy, the Justice Society fights Black Adam and Isis. Billy is abducted by the now evil Mary Marvel, who shares her powers with him and turns him into an evil teenage Captain Marvel. The evil Billy and Mary join Adam and Isis in fighting the Justice Society. However, Adam switches sides when Isis sets into action her plan to kill off humanity and destroy modern civilization. With the help of the Justice Society's Flash and the spirit of C.C Batson (Mary and Billy's father), the dead wizard Shazam's soul is retrieved from an underworld realm known as the Rock of Finality, and Adam gives up his powers to resurrect him from the statue he is imprisoned in. Shazam promptly takes his powers back from the other three Black Marvels, turns Adam and Isis into stone statues, and banishes Billy and Mary from the Rock of Eternity upon stating that they have failed him. He threatens to come after Freddy Freeman, as his powers come directly from the Gods. They are later seen walking the streets of Fawcett City while homeless and pondering the fate of their father's spirit. Blackest Night During Blackest Night, they are living in an apartment, and comment on how scary it is not to have their powers anymore. Shazam One-Shot Freddy is seen with Billy and Mary in their apartment. They reminisce about the past and how Mary now feels useless without her powers. Mary is later seen assaulting Freddy, Blaze appears. The scene cuts to a homeless shelter. Blaze is seen talking to Mary. She tells Mary that if she kills Freddy, she will restore Billy and Mary's powers. It cuts back. Blaze is seen breaking her promise to Mary. Seconds later the word 'Shazam' is heard, sending Blaze rocketing through the wall. It turns out Freddy was in on it too, only pretending to get killed. Blaze and Freddy fight in the streets. Blaze punches Freddy with a ring containing liquid from the river of the Styx, which is toxic to everyone besides the residents of Hell. Billy is seen telling Mary to distract Blaze while he helps Freddy wash off the toxic water. Freddy then follows by "killing" Blaze and sending her back to Hell. Later on, Freddy tells Billy and Mary that no matter what, he will find a way to restore their powers! Flashpoint : See: Captain Thunder DCnU The Flash's changes to reality created a new world where Billy's life had significantly changed. In this new world, his superhero identity was called Shazam, not Captain Marvel. Billy also had undergone a personality change: while he was still essentially a good boy, he was distrustful of people and wanted to become an adult as fast as possible so that he could take care of himself and not worry about anybody else. Billy lived in an orphanage in Philadelphia and was interviewed by a couple of parents, the Vasquezes, so that he could be adopted and attend to school. He behaved properly towards the Vasquezes, who decided to adopt him. As soon as they left, however, Billy expressed indifference towards them. Later, Billy sees an emergency in the city and transforms into Shazam. After being adopted he moves to the Vasquezes home where he meets the rest of their family, who are also adopted. It is immediately apparent that Billy does not fit in with the rest and he soon gets into a fight with the others, storming off into his room. Powers and Abilities Powers Power of Shazam: In order to access the powers of Captain Marvel, Batson must invoke the name of the Wizard Shazam, thereby summoning the spells and energies of those extra-dimensional beings once known as "the gods on Earth". Batson also has ties to the Quintessence. Batson must invoke the spell in order to call upon these powers. In a burst of supernatural thunder and lightning, Captain Marvel wields the mighty powers of the immortals. Batson was able to share his power with others who are worthy. His sister became Mary Marvel and Freddy Freeman became Captain Marvel Jr. In this state, each person is in possession of a fragment of the power of "Captain Marvel". By calling upon Shazam again, each member of the Marvels can once again return to their former identities. This allows one of their numbers, such as Billy or Mary, to have the full power of the spell. The spell can be shared with others of noble intent and purity, such as Superman, who once switched identities with Captain Marvel. Bolstered by the Stamina of Atlas, the invulnerability of Achilles, and the power of Zeus, Marvel is often depicted with strength on par with Superman. Captain Marvel possesses the following superhuman and magical powers: : S for the Wisdom of Solomon: Solomon was the third king of united Israel in historical times. According to the Bible God blessed him with supernatural wisdom at his request to lead Israel. Captain Marvel has instant access to a vast amount of knowledge. The wisdom of Solomon is sometimes known as the Wisdom of the Ancients. Captain Marvel has superhuman clairvoyance and awareness. He is provided with counsel and advice in times of need. Captain Marvel has knowledge of all languages, ancient and modern warfare, and can hypnotize or enchant people with his power. The power of wisdom lends him knowledge far beyond mortal comprehension. :* Superhuman Knowledge: Captain Marvel has exceptional photographic recall and mental acuity allowing him to read and decipher hieroglyphics, recall everything he has ever learned and solve long mathematical equations. Instantaneously he can make intuitive guesses based on limited data; to the point his guesses are almost always correct; also he has a great understanding of divine phenomenon in the mortal world. :* Clairvoyance: Captain Marvel possesses an uncanny awareness of his circumstances that allows him to turn disadvantages into advantages. :* Hypnosis: Through sheer power and magic he can hypnotize people for length of time (undetermined). Only those of great willpower can overcome this ability. :* Omni-lingual: He can speak every language known to humans as well as ancient or dead languages and is able to understand aliens. : H for the Strength of Hercules: In his role as Earth's Mightiest Mortal, Batson has incredible super strength. He has stalemated Superman in an arm wrestling contest, and has managed to match the strength of an Eclipso possesed Superman when he wasn't holding back at all (although Eclipso didn't know how to use Superman's power at it full extent and also Marvel showed more strain, indicating that Superman is fractionally stronger), and has rendered Superman unconscious (however he had the advantage of catching Superman by surprise). Captain Marvel has moved and destroyed massive objects. He has fought warriors such as Wonder Woman and Superman although both of them have defeated him. Captain Marvel refrains from such power displays as physically moving planets, although, given his abilities against Superman and Wonder Woman, such feats would be within his abilities. :* Superhuman Strength: Captain Marvel has the ability to lift well over 100 tons with minimal effort and has battled top tier beings such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Black Adam. Captain Marvel has stalemated Superman in an arm wrestling contest and has at least matched Wonder Woman in raw strength. The limits, if there actually are any, of Captain Marvel's strength are unknown. :* Corporal Enhancement - When Billy Batson transforms into Shazam he gains the added muscle of a very well developed full-grown man as well as the accompanying height and weight, often appearing larger and more muscularly bulky than Superman himself. : A for the Stamina of Atlas: The Titan known as Atlas had limitless endurance. Atlas cradled the Earth for time immemorial. He can overcome tremendous physical resistance. This superhuman ability lends to his ability to stay as Captain Marvel for elongated periods of time, survive in space and fight seemingly endless battles such as his fight with the. :* Self-sustenance -''' While in the form of Captain Marvel, Billy Batson does not need to eat. sleep or breathe. The godly energies that transform his body into Earths Mightiest Hero is enough to sustain his body. From Black Adam, who also shares the same powers as Billy Batson (but from different sources) we have seen that he was able to survive crossing the universe in his return to Earth which took him 5,000 years to accomplish. 'Super-human Stamina -' Captain Marvels godly energies do not require him to rest because they prevent any kind of fatigue toxins from building in his body. This grants him a inexhaustible amount of endurance regardless of how strenuous the physical activity he engages in or how long it lasts. His endurance is limitless. : '''Z for the Power of Zeus: Zeus was Olympus's high father and the god of magical lightning bolts. Zeus' power, besides fueling the magic thunderbolt that transform Captain Marvel, also enhances Captain Marvel's other physical and magical abilities. This power reinforces his physical invulnerability and resistance against magic spells and attacks. Captain Marvel can use the magical lightning as a weapon. He can summon Zeus's lighting bolts to strike his opponents. Zeus's lightning may be used to create mythic apparatus, restore damage done to Marvel, and act as a power source for magical spells. He knocked Superman unconscious with the speed of Mercury and with his fists wrapped in lighting bolts. : Lightning -''' Captain Marvel gains his power from a lightning bolt, and can use it as a weapon as well by interrupting the flow between the bolt and himself. In certain situations, Marvel has been known to spark lightning off of his body, and even direct it as a projectile at a target. 'Sorcery -' Captain Marvel is a being of pure and ancient magic. This gives him the ability to resist the negative effects of magic. 'Healing -' Although Captain Marvel has the power of the Gods it is possible to harm him. Captain Marvel is able to call down the lightning that gives him his powers in order to heal his body if he is injured. Captain Marvels healing factor is also of a godly level and is able to heal himself from almost all injuries in an incredible amount of time. :* ''Magical Resistance'': This boosts his Invulnerability and Endurance powers to god-like levels. Making him only affected by the most potent of spells and abilities. :* ''Physical Enhancement'': His muscles, height increase, weight, mass and all physical properties that differ from Billy Batson's are a magical enhancement. :* ''Inter-dimensional Travel'': This can only be used to travel to the Rock of Eternity. :* ''Spell Source'': He is the focal point and immediate source of Mary Marvel and Freddy Freeman's powers. Just as Shazam is the source of Billy Batson's powers. :* ''Sorcery'': Captain Marvel is a creature of pure and ancient magic. This allows for his ability to resist and cast magic spells, Zeus's Lightning being the most notable. :* ''Advanced Healing'': If he is injured in battle he may call on the magical lightning to heal himself and mend wounds. If wounded, his divine and supernatural energies enable him to recover at other worldly speed. : '''A for the Courage of Achilles: Captain Marvel has heroic levels of inner strength from which to draw. He has the courage of the Greek Hero Achilles which in battle and while in the Captain Marvel form allows him to wield great bravery and spirit. Captain Marvel is blessed with an innate and harmonious good will. A divine cheerfulness that is characterized by his trademark grin. It gives him a perseverance that pushes him to always confront a challenge with a knowing optimism. :* Invulnerability: Captain Marvel is virtually invulnerable, and resistant to all types of physical injuries. His resilience to damage is on par with beings such as Superman, but without the weaknesses. :* Optimism: With the Courage of Achilles combined with the Wisdom of Solomon and the boyish personality of Billy Batson this creates a certain kind of optimism of which Captain Marvel is supremely known for. Able to smile down most opponents and using his powers in special ways other than fighting, Captain Marvel will forever remain the staple "boy scout".Courage -''' Captain Marvel usually protects others before himself, and also often putting himself in harm's way to protect another. He also tends to stand up for the little guy, and asserts himself between larger fights to find a mutually beneficial solution. Achilles has bestowed on Captain Marvel with the great fighting abilities (Captain Marvel Adventures 144). 'Invulnerability -' Captain Marvel is virtually invulnerable to all forms of physical harm. His resistance to harm is comparable to that of Superman's but he does not share his weaknesses to Kryptonite or magic. : '''M for the Speed of Mercury: By channeling Mercury's speed, Captain Marvel can easily fly and move at speeds far exceeding Mach 10 (2 miles a second) while in earth's atmosphere. This is far from his limit as the Speed of Mercury allows him to move at speeds faster than light. Just like Black Adam, his reflexes and speed enhance the impact of his uncharted physical strength. Thanks to the power of Mercury, Marvel flies as swiftly as the messenger god of Greek and Roman myth. :* Superhuman Speed: He can move at incredible speeds making him at least fast enough to race theFlash on foot. Captain Marvel can move fast enough to render himself invisible and seemingly vanish and disappear at will. Even Superman himself (who is one of the fastest beings on Earth) admitted Captain Marvel as faster than him, and even considered him fast enough to catch an unstoppable Flash. :* Flight: Captain Marvel can also mystically fly through the atmosphere. This enables him to soar effortlessly sub-orbital levels and travel across the planet in blinding speed. He can travel through space, but has sometimes uses devices to ease communication during interstellar travel. Abilities * Various. The knowledge he currently possesses is unending, therefore he is capable of anything. * Multilingual: Thanks to the Wisdom of Solomon, he has the ability to understand, comprehend, and speak any language on earth. * Genius-Level Intellect: He also is considered a genius among geniuses. * Smooth Talker: Another facet of his intelligence is ability to talk his way out of situations, as a man with an unprecedented amount of wisdom, he prefers to talk, rather than fight. New 52 Powers The wizard passed his magic to Billy he told Billy to utter the word SHAZAM with believe, good intention, and family thoughts to transform into his full potential as the Champion of Magic. When Billy transforms into the champion of magic he has the following powers: Supernatural Strength: The Wizard told Billy that he has the strength of a 'demi-god' which makes him far stronger than any human and makes him equal with the likes of other demi-gods like Hercules. He has demonstrated his strength by lifting vehicles with little to no effort and pushed a man several meters before he crashed into a car while he said he never meant to hit him that hard, and knocking Superman and Wonder Woman down with a punch (though they stood up later). His upper limit are still unknown. Supernatural Speed: The Wizard said he would be able to move like the lightning he wields making it possible for him to fly at multi-mach speeds. He has reacted to Superman in battle. He raced Diana from Earth to the Watch-tower miles above earth in less than 6 minutes. Upper limits are still unknown. Supernatural Invulnerabilty: He has the strength of a demi-god, this also extends to his durability. He has resisted punches from Superman and Black Adam without any strain or noticeable effect. In new 52 he has power of Achilles (not courage) giving him invulnerability. Supernatural Perception: He can hear and see things only magical beings can hear and see, and he can also talk to them. Supernatural Guardians: When he first transformed and left the Rock of Eternity, the first set of places he went to where all needed his help (a woman was being robbed at his first place, the bank beside him was being robbed by masked men, the store he decided to go to was in the middle of a stick up and finally where a carjacker was hot wiring a convertible). Magical Lightning Manipulation: He can project magical lightning from his hands and fingers. He could not control it at first as any electrical device overloads then explode (even car lights) when he touches them (but he seems to have had control as nothing he electrical he touches overload then explodes). Magic: His powers are magical. Before the Wizard died he told Billy that he is the Champion of Magic as he wields the Living Lightning. During his fight with Black Adam, Billy transformed his foster family, giving them not only his but their own unique powers as well seemingly without any effort. He did not become weaker after he transformed them, he also transformed Tawny who helped him against Black Adam. He created a ping-pong table in the Watch Tower with magic. Billy can control what happens when he says Shazam. He can transform, stay the same or cast a spell. TELEPORTATION: Billy can teleport from underground to the Rock of Eternity and also uses teleportation to get out. He also teleported out of Star Labs after seeing Victor Stone to battle grodd in Metropolis. Flight: The magic bestowed unto him by the wizard enables billy to fly unaided at will, how proficient he is with the ability is still in question, but he has shown capable of moving, bolting and dodging rather acrobatically with little to no difficulty at all and while flying with passengers no less. Strength * Class 100 +. As Captain Marvel his strength is on par with Superman. When he received the upgrade to Lord Marvel and became the keeper of the Rock of Eternity he was one of the strongest beings in the Universe. Weaknesses High Order Magic: Only the strongest of magics can affect him in any particular way, such as those wielded by the Spectre. Speech Impediment: The spell that allows Billy to transform into Captain Marvel is purely vocal. Therefore, if he is prevented from speaking, such as being gagged, he will not be able to transform. Electricity: A powerful enough electric discharge can transform Captain Marvel back into Billy and vice versa. This has worked both to his advantage and detriment oftentimes.Magic Lightning: The same magic lightning that brings forth the power of the elders also has the ability to transform Captain Marvel back into his mortal form of young Billy Batson. This dual purpose word has been used against Captain Marvel from time to time by some of his more cunning foes. Naivety: Though Captain Marvel looks to be an adult male, he is really a teenager inside, and tends to be more optimistic and gullible than other heroes. In some cases this works to his advantage, but it can also cause his peers to look down upon him. However, Billy's naivety also gives him strong moral values and helps him find the good in everybody. Inexperience: Due to his relative lack of understanding in the usage of his abilities, Shazam doesn't quite understand the true extent of his mystical abilities. Failing to Grasp how to properly use his divine magic has backfired on him more than once. Such as when Billy's transformed state used to short out electrical and mechanical appliances or how to cast enchantments on multiple host avatars at once without backlash and using his magic to illicitly earn money from an ATM without being able to shut it off.